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Finally decided to leave my first report, after a bit of a bummer day trying to chase down some Lake Washington coho. Got my first boat this year, and spent the summer out on the Sound in areas 9 and 10 with mostly successful days, picking up a fair number of pink and coho.

So taking a look at the number of coho making their way through the Ballard locks, I though, how hard could picking up a few in Lake Wa be?

Answer: pretty hard.

Started off the morning around 6am at Stan Sayers launch and scooted on up to hunts point over a glassy calm lake. There were probably a dozen other fishing boats trolling around the Kirkland area with us. We were marking solitary fish pretty regularly on the finder just off the bottom, but never marked any decent groupings. In the two hours we spent around Kirkland, we didn't get a single bite, and saw no nets flying on any other boats.

So, around 8 we pulled in the gear and headed up past St Edwards and when we got to Arrowhead point, bingo. Big schools all along the dropoff, and dozens of big beautiful bright coho jumping all around, just feet from our boat.

Long morning short, we could not get anything in the water that these fish would bite. We tried flashers and dodgers of varying sizes, spoons, ace high-flies, hoochies, wigglers, mag-lips, spinners, wedding rings, brad's mini cut-plugs, buzz-bombs, baits including eggs, maggots, corn, herring scent, powerbait. A buddy I took out even tried using his fly-fishing gear for a while. NOTHING.

These damn fish were taunting us all morning, and we decided to call it a day around 11:30. It was a beautiful day on the boat with my buddies, but the coho took the W in the end.

Ben Eggertsen

9/29/2021 9:23:59 AM

Congrats on the new boat! It was a good year to get going on Puget Sound.

I completely agree with everything in your report. I tried this fishery a couple times years ago with similar results. I found big schools just north of Magnuson Park. I threw everything at them including the kitchen sink. No joy.

I saw a couple caught near Hunts Point but very very few for spending a couple days. The only consolation was catching a 24" rainbow (steelhead?) while trying for coho. That's fishing. Tight lines.

salmonbarry

9/30/2021 9:36:02 PM

Great first report and welcome to Lake WA coho fishing! It can be very humbling but don't give up as it can have it's days. Normally those jumpers don't bite but the ones on your deeper marks are the ones to target! Next year give it a try within the first week of the opener before the nets go in but even then it can be frustrating! Welcome and congrats on your first boat!

oakgriff

10/1/2021 8:03:35 AM

Thanks SalmonBarry, you reports helped inspire me to get out there! I'm not done with this fishery yet by a long shot though

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